This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Data centers and server rooms are facilities that house computer systems and their associated components, such as computer servers and data storage devices, data communication connections and equipment, backup power supplies, security devices, and environmental monitoring and control systems, like climate control systems and fire suppression systems, for example.
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary server room 300 that houses computer servers and related equipment. Typically, the computer servers are mounted in rack cabinets that are placed in single rows forming aisles between them to enable access to the front and rear of each cabinet. Servers can range in size and occupy many square feet of floor space.
Climate is significant factor that affects the energy consumption and environmental impact of a data center or server room. As such, the environment in the facility is closely monitoring and controlled. Wireless temperature sensors are used in data centers and server rooms to monitor ambient environmental conditions as part of an environmental monitoring and control system. Typically, the sensors are mounted to server racks in the data centers.
Referring to FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C, one known wireless temperature sensor device 302 is shown. The temperature sensor 302 includes a main housing that can be mounted on the top or side of a computer server rack 304. In addition, a “sensor string,” 306 including several discrete sensor elements 308, can also be included. When used, the sensor string 306 can be draped over the side of the computer server rack 304. Other know sensor devices can mount on a side or door of a computer server rack as shown in FIG. 2A. The constructions of currently known wireless temperature and/or humidity sensors' housings and/or enclosures, however, fail to optimally expose the sensor element to the ambient environment being monitored e.g., ambient air streams in and around the sensor). For example, the housings and/or enclosures of known sensors create “dead air” spaces in and around the sensor element and otherwise block entirely or poorly expose the sensor to the ambient air stream. These dead air spaces result in slow sensor response times and reduced sensitivity to the ambient environment being monitored
Moreover, the known sensor constructions do not optimize the relative position of the sensor element and antenna to one another and to the mounting surface upon which the sensor is installed. In this regard, the antennas of known wireless temperature and/or humidity sensors exhibit polarization that is parallel to the ground plane created by the server rack mounting surface. As such, the antenna's effective efficiency, power and/or sensitivity can be negatively impacted.
In addition, conventional wireless temperature and/or humidity sensors provide inefficient mounting features and arrangements for locating and securing the sensors for use. For example, known sensor constructions employ slots or loops in the housing that facilitate attaching zip ties or similar mounting lanyards. These housing constructions generally increase the size or footprint of the sensor and can interfere in some installations.
Still further, known sensor constructions include housings having multiple threaded fasteners and/or snap-fit features that are difficult to assemble.